PROJECT DESCRIPTION
This project is inspired by a magnet layout I played with a few years ago. The idea is that by alternating magnets in a grid north - south like a checkerboard, the effective range of the magnetic field gets shorter with very little loss in strength.
This allows for two major design changes to the standard single magnet bike clip. First, it allows for an assembly using very small magnets which can be made extremely strong.
Second, since the range is reduced, the alignment when clipping into place is more consistent and when using a wedge to separate the shoe clip from the pedal the force drops off much faster allowing for a more shallow slope and smoother detachment.
For example, 1/8" cube N52 neodymium magnets hold over a pound each and weigh less than a quarter of a gram each. That means a 6x10 grid (0.75" x 1.25") would weigh less than 15 grams and be able to hold over 60 pounds. For comparison, a magnet with a similar pull force weighs about 75 and takes up more than 3x the volume with a less aerodynamic profile.